The Most Famous Drawing Artists Today: A Reasoned Top 10 Using Objective Career Facts

In this article, we are pleased to present you the most extensive online resource on Contemporary Drawing, with a reasoned selection of 10 highly established artists, ranked from 10 to 1 (and 3 honorable mentions) using the Artfacts algorithm measuring their influence and importance using objective data and career facts, such as exhibitions at major institutions, auction results, participation in major art events, art fairs and exposure in major art publications.

As we can only touch briefly on every artist, we have included hyperlinks at the end of every artist biography, referring to the best monographic publication available on the artist in question:

🌟 Overview: Career Advice for Artists

🍿 Watch Next (Key Videos for Artists)

📖 Recommended Books:

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ℹ️ About CAI:
CAI is the abbreviation of 'Contemporary Art Issue,' a hybrid platform for contemporary art including:

👨 About the host Julien Delagrange:
Julien Delagrange is an art historian, contemporary artist, and the founder and director of CAI. Delagrange studied Science of Arts at Ghent University, Belgium, and worked for the Centre for Fine Arts (BOZAR) in Brussels, the Jan Vercruysse Foundation, the Ghent University Library, and has contributed to the international contemporary art scene as an art critic, lecturer, curator, gallery director, consultant, advisor, and as an artist. As an artist, he is represented by Galerie Sabine Bayasli in Paris, France, and Gallery Space60 in Antwerp, Belgium.

🎯 The mission of the CAI YouTube channel:
→ To empower artists by providing adequate and industry-approved advice for artists for long-term success in the highest realms of the art world, sharing inside information and proven strategies based on real-life experiences in the art world.
→ To contribute to the online canonization of recent art history, having its finger at the pulse of contemporary art.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders. However, if you feel you have inadvertently been overlooked, please take up contact with Contemporary Art Issue.

Table of contents:
0:00 — Introduction
01:05 — Honorable mentions
01:37 — 10. Toyin Ojih Odutola
02:30 — 9. Sandra Vásquez de la Horra
03:28 — 8. Anni Albers
04:20 — 7. Marcel van Eeden
05:10 — 6. Marc Bauer
06:13 — 5. Andrea Bowers
07:03 — 4. Vija Celmins
07:56 — 3. Jorinde Voigt
08:49 — 2. Matt Mulican
09:59 — 1. William Kentridge
10:48 — Outro

[contemporaryartissue]

Thank you so much for tuning in today. Our CAI Patreons can find a PDF version of this video and feel free to suggest what list we should make next. Chat soon!

[cchemmes-seeseeart]

I love love love love love this video & also series of top artists in different media/ genre. Thanks!

[georgemohr]

I needed this, given I spend hours every day drawing. Excellent in scope and production. Thank you.

[mattpipes]

Thank you for another great video, for me drawing and printmaking are the most compelling disciplines in art so this was definitely a treat! Of these artists I was only familiar with Andrea Bowers and William Kentridge… and I had only recently became aware of their work, so I can’t wait to do some more research and exploration into the artists you have introduced in this video!

[davidson-mielellc]

Thank you for another great video, and thank your dog as well.

[davidhunternyc]

I would also add to this list the charcoal drawings of Robert Longo. Though most famous for his "Men in Cities" series, it's his drawings of civil unrest that's unnerving and prescient, such as his Untitled Ferguson Police, August 13, 2014. His wave drawings are apocalyptic too, such as Untitled (Hellion), 2011.

[cindypatterson]

Another very helpful video, Thank-you again

[bethduffus]

Great video. Some new names to me so I will enjoy finding out more about their work. Many thanks.

[oldladyfalling]

Don't know how Laurie Lipton wasn't on this list....so underrated... by far one of the most talented drawing artists active today.

[DanielLopes-jtyl]

Received honors in drawing at SFAI by Bruce MaGaw (Bay Area Abstract Figurative) student of Richard Diebenkorn. He rightly recognized my love of drawing. There was a saying going around SFAI at that time (1976) that, drawing was the same as painting. That struck me and after all these years still have it in mind. I see it yet battle with it so strong is my love for drawing.

[skydavid]

Yes to William Kentridge whose explorations in hand drawn animation go beyond conventions of the medium and brings animation into the realm of live theatre performance.

[almarn]

It is fair to include David Hockney. I vividly remember his astonishing drawings using color crayons I saw in Beauboug in Paris (its last major exhibit in France). Hockney is mastering everything anyway.

[williamerickson]

I really like Sandra Vásquez de la Horra, particularly that last image on the folded paper. Her work gives me hope for my ambition of drawing (pun intended) imagery from gothic literature and hopefully sparking a new gothic revival.

A man can dream.

[eagleear]

I fully agree with making William Kentridge as your #1. However, Jim Dine, is certainly more famous than, and of at least (if not higher than) equal stature to a number of others you placed on your list!

[KpxUrz]

I won't go on like I often do with a fuller explanation, but will simply say that none of these artists strike me as particularly good draftsmen or very talented. They all fall into the category of replicating the "look" that is apparently acceptable to many modern galleries. In my view, standards have fallen by the wayside, classical or excellent training is out, and there is a great paucity of real talent that could stand side by side with actual past masters. When standards change for the worse, this is what you get.

[sinancnar]

Hello, are you planning to make a video about artists who focus on coal? or about Robert Longo? Thanks for your effort

[ashley-tmuk]

thank you for sharing…you ask for suggestions on what we’d like to see?…i would like to know who you consider to be the true, currently living, masters of today…it can be any medium, and shouldn’t matter if they are popular.

[DanielLopes-kvsp]

Yes! Pastels deserved the mention. There is a expression that can not be found elsewhere. The medium goes directly to the mind. Sadly it lacks the sheen and brilliance of oil work.

[glennclarke]

I'm going to say that I think you have missed a very gifted and talented South African artist who''s name is Jono Dry. Maybe one of the most gifted hyper-realists I have ever seen, and he is right here on YouTube.
Give him some time and I am sure you'll agree.

[villgomz]

William FUCKING Kentridge!!
In fact, all the elections were awesome. Love your channel.